crude smash 'em up fun
packed in a next-gen racer -
"you've blown your engine!"
Additional Comments:
I remember when I first got my PS1, two of the first games that came into my possession were Formula 1 (which was, and still is a fantastic racing sim in my opinion - besides, it was based on the '95 season, which I'll admit didn't have the pizzazz of preceding seasons with the likes of Senna and Prost; it stirred up some fantastic battles between Benetton and Williams - oh, to see Williams in its prime again, but alas, that's all for another day) and Destruction Derby 2. Having always enjoyed racing games, I was ecstatic when I found a game based around the concept of, well...demolition derbies - reminded me of when I used to go watch Figure-8 races as a kid. Not only could I race around some interestingly designed tracks, but I could also violently ram my opponents and watch the parts fly as they spin around mercilessly. Fantastic! Of course, nowadays with franchises like Forza and Gran Turismo, car modeling couldn't look better, the racing couldn't get any better (well, it could, but I digress), and with Forza introducing crash damage; these old-timey racers are just so horribly outdated now. The graphics and 3D modeling are puke, the tracks leave much to be desired and the opponent AI is damn near absent - although, at least it's not as bad as Mario Kart AI - sheesh, talk about some awful stuff. But just like any other game of yore, those games that were great are going to continue to shine for one reason or another, no matter how much they look like a pile of crap compared to today's standards.
But then there's Destruction Derby. Based on my initial reaction to Destruction Derby 2 back in the day, I'm pretty confident that this game would have had the same effect - after all, we're talking about an overall upgrade from the measly offerings of arcade-style racers or driving sims we had available to us; stuff like Out Run, F-Zero, Virtua Racing, or heck, Super Mario Kart. Well, truth be told, none of those games are measly - they're all fantastic! Come on, Virtua Racing? I remember dropping a wealth of quarters anytime I saw one of those twin machines at an arcade. As far as driving/racing games went, that game was the bomb! Nevertheless, the next-gen consoles forever changed the world of racing games. Sure, Virtua Racing was using 3D models, but compared to some of the next-gen stuff, it was obvious that 3D was still in its infancy. To me, playing Destruction Derby today, while the game isn't the greatest (which I'll get into why in a bit), there's this real sense of control (and/or lack of), speed and realism, despite that realism being nothing more than shards of quadrilateral polygons flying across the screen compared to today's games. Of course, I haven't played Virtua Racing since the mid 90s, so my argument could be completely bogus. But I'm not here to talk about the king of arcade racing, so moving on....
I have to be honest, it's hard to admit that the game is inherently great, because compared to its sequel, it's a piece of shit. However, erasing all prior knowledge and experience of its sequel, I have to default to the game's graces. It's a game based around real pedal-to-the-metal racing, crash-based spin-those-suckers-out racing and classic arena style derbies, and it delivers on all fronts. The racing is great (although I'd have to call shenanigans on Rookie mode), and the crash 'em, smash 'em action is a blast, well almost - the arena battles can become a bore and the idea of including six rounds of the same arena in championship mode is a snooze fest. But again, this can almost be attributed to knowing how the sequel handled it. So then, are the arena championships actually a dud? Eh, I'm still gonna say yes.
Looking at the different modes, Stock Car has always been my favorite, despite the game focusing on and awarding those who perform the biggest wrecks. While Wreckin' mode is a lot of fun, I've always liked trying to cross the finish line in first while total chaos ensues around the track. In Wreckin' mode, laps and/or position just doesn't really matter and you can tank the entire race, ramming others incessantly for points. Yea, that's the point of Wreckin' mode, but it really defeats the "racing" aspect of the game that I'd like to think should still remain a part of it. But what I enjoy about Stock Car mode is that the "crash" aspect isn't negated. Everyone's still out to spin you into oblivion and you can drop from first to last at the drop of a hat if all goes wrong, but that's part of the fun. And unlike games like Mario Kart where the same scenario can have you throwing remotes and swearing at the TV, this game never instills that brand of frustration thanks to the division brackets.
The idea of divisions is another aspect I've always like about this series. Although you're racing nineteen other drivers on course, in reality, you're only racing three other drivers for championship contention at any one time. But to win the overall championship, you have to win each division and work your way up the league ladder. And to help ease the idea of having to race five separate divisions one after another just to win the overall, each division pits you against a unique set of tracks. While the sequel made better use of this idea (no surprise), the original game did manage to switch up the tracks for each season enough to alleviate any potential boredom. Each location remains constant, but the track layouts consistently change with each new season with the exception of Crossover (ok, there is a slight change but it's ever so slight). But come on, who's going to complain about a track that gives you twenty chances per race to t-bone your opponents dead on? This is what Wreckin' racing is all about! Although, damn, does that track suck ass in Stock Car mode.
The tracks themselves aren't the greatest, but they get the job done. There's really only two types of layouts: ovals (or tri-ovals) and narrow street courses. While they're nothing to lick your lips over, they work for the style of racing the game offers: close-quarters, paint-grinding, fender-bending action. Some of the tracks however, especially Ocean Drive or the crossover version of Cactus Creek, are a nightmare to throw your car around when you're behind the wheel of the Pro machine. Some of those right-angled corners are just stupidly tight and you have a higher chance of blowing your engine from ramming the barrier than some of the other louts out there - looking at you Learner Driver.
In addition to the aforementioned Rookie and Pro modes, there's also an Amateur mode. I suppose these can be labeled as difficulty modes, however I've never really viewed them that way. For one, Pro has always been my favorite mode in DD2, and I think it's safe to say that it's also the case here. Pro really frees up the car, to the point where you literally have no control when zipping around corners and performing tight radius turns, while much easier to pull off, can turn into an unwanted spin real fast But despite this total lack of control, in a way, you actually have more control over cornering - it's a bit hard to explain. Sure, speed is more apparent in the latter modes, but outside of Rookie, speed means very little. Unfortunately, the lack of speed in Rookie makes Rookie the hardest mode to handle, especially when doing Stock Car racing. I think the other reason Rookie comes off as the "hard" mode to me is that it seems that the AI doesn't really change between difficulty modes. The only thing truly affected is the physics of the car. Oh, and because of Pro's lucid control, the arena matches do become a bit livelier.
I'm not completely sure what was the first game that introduced me to a rather "alternative" take on video game music, but I know DD2 was one of the first. Despite it's completely non-vgm style soundtrack, I liked it. I was glad to hear that the original game also had a similar approach to its soundtrack. Compared to your average video game, this stuff is just...strange, but damn is this music great. Typically, I hate game soundtracks that have a more rock/techno edge or similarly styled radio-friendly aesthetic - thinks Sonic Heroes and other Crush 40 bullshit - or even use commercial music, although Summer Song somehow seemed fitting in Formula 1. Anyways, a couple of tracks worth noting are Aftershow and Hardhitter.
Overall, the game's good, but great? Eh, based on my original impressions of DD2, it could have been, but we'll never know for sure. Unfortunately, as I've said, it's not the one I started out with, and compared to the sequel it falls horribly short so my perception of it is highly skewed. It's a mixed bag for me. I know the material presented is worthy, but knowing the potential of what was to come - it's like trying to explain why Super Mario Bros. is such a great game when you know all and well that compared to its successors, it just sucks balls.
Nano-Rant:
The Skum is an asshole!
Rating: 2.5 Smoothies out of 5
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